Bobby pin spreader



Dec. 3, 1968 w. M. HALSTEAD 3,413,983-

BOBBY PIN SPREADER Filed Oct. 21. 1965 INVENTOR M/liam M. Hq/s/ad TQRN United States Patent 3,413,983 BOBBY PIN SPREADER William M. Halstead, P.0. Box 195, Linthicum Heights, Md. 21090 Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,467 1 Claim. (Cl. 132-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a bobby pin spreader, comprising a ring-like mounting member adapted to be positioned on a finger, and a substantially triangular -pin spreading wadge provided on said mounting member with its longitudinal axis oriented in a direction tangential to the mounting member, said wedge including a relatively wide rear edge, a pair of broad, flat side edges divergent rearwardly from a point on said longitudinal axis to said rear edge, and a top surface co-extensive with the area defined by said rear and side edges.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in openers or spreaders for bobby pins such as are used for holding in place curls of hair, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate simple, convenient and highly expeditious spreading of a bobby pin and insertion thereof into a hair curl with the use of only one hand, so that the other hand remains available to hold the curl while the bobby pin is being inserted.

In an effort to eliminate the obvious disadvantages incident to the conventional practice of opening bobby pins with the teeth, various types of bobby pin spreaders have been devised. However, such spreaders usually are positioned on one hand while a bobby pin to be opened is picked up with the other hand for application to the spreader, whereupon the spread apart pin must be held open while the hand which is holding it is moved away from the spreader in order to apply the pin to the hair. In the meantime the hand carrying the spreader has not been available to hold the hair curl during the pin spreading operation unless such operation were performed with both hands above the head, in which instance manipulation of the bobby pin for proper coaction with the spreader would be. exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

The present invention eliminates all these disadvantages by leaving one hand free at all times to hold the hair curl whilethe other hand is used to carry the spreader, pick up a bobby pin, spread the same with the spreader holding the pin in its spread position, to apply the spread pin to the hair curl, and to release the spreader from the pin so that the pin automatically clamps the curl of hair.

Other advantages of the invention reside in its simple construction, efiicient and expeditious operation, and in its adaptability to convenient and economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, showing the spreader of the invention applied to a bobby pin held by the same hand on which the spreader is carried, and also showing the spread pin as being inserted into a hair curl.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the bobby pin spreader per se; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the bobby pin spreader of the invention is designated gen- 3,413,983 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 erally by the reference numeral 10 and, as is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the same comprises a ring-like mounting member 11 which is adapted to be positioned on the forefinger 12 of a users hand 13.

The ring-like mounting member 11 is in the form of an open hand or strap, having an arcuate or curved portion 11a and a fiat or straight tangential end portion 11b, the band being formed from metal, plastic or other suitable material which preferably has some degree of resilient flexibility so that the band may be frictionally held in position on the forefinger.

A substantially triangular bobby pin spreading wedge 14 is provided on the flat portion 11b of the band or member 11, the longitudinal axis, as indicated by the dotted line 15 in FIG. 3, of the wedge being oriented in a tangential direction with respect to the member 11. The Wedge 14 has a relatively wide, transversely curved rear edge 16, a pair of side edges 17 which diverge rearwardly from a point 18 on the axis 15 to the rear edge 16, and a top surface 19 which is co-extensive with the area defined by the rear and side edges 16, 17. The rear edge 16 of the wedge is co-terminal with the free end of the band portion 11b and the width of the band may be substantially the same as the width of the rear edge 16.

The wedge 14 may be formed integrally with the band 11, or if preferred, it may be formed separately and secured to the band by a suitable fastener 20.

In operation, the spreader 10 is positioned on the forefinger 12 of one hand so that the wedge 14 of the spreader is located at one side or at the bottom of the forefinger, as shown in FIG. 1. When a curl of hair 21 has been formed in the usual manner, the curl is: held by fingers of the second hand (as distinguished from the first hand 13), and a bobby pin 22 is picked up between the middle finger 23 and the thumb 24 of the first hand 13. The forefinger 12 is then moved so that the wedge 14 of the spreader is inserted between the legs of the bobby pin, causing the legs to spread apart as shown. This pin spreading operation is performed in front of the users eyes so that proper manipulation of the spreader in relation to the bobby pin is possible, it being understood that While the bobby pin is being held and spread by the hand 13, the second hand remains free to hold the hair curl 21 on top of the head in readiness for insertion of the pin. The hand 13 with the pin 22 held spread apart by the device 10 is then moved to the top of the head where the spread pin is applied to the hair curl. At that stage it is not necessary to withdraw the wedge 14 longitudinally from between the legs of the bobby pin, but rather, the finger 12 is moved so that the Wedge 14 is withdrawn laterally or sideways from between the pin legs, thus permitting the bobby pin to clamp the hair curl and hold it in place.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the bobby pin pick up, spreading and inserting is a single hand operation which leaves the other hand free to hold the curl and in which the spreader, apart from its primary function of spreading the legs of the pin, also serves to hold the same in the spread position during movement of the hand to the hair and insertion of the pin into the curl.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications and equivalents may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A bobby pin spreader adapted for one hand operation, comprising a ring-like mounting member adapted to be positioned on a finger, and a substantially triangular pin spreading wedge secured on said mounting member with its longitudinal axis oriented in a direction tangential to the mounting member, said wedge including a relatively wide rear edge, a pair of broad, flat side edges divergent rearwardly from a point on said longitudinal axis to said rear edge, and a top surface co-extensive with the area defined by said rear and side edges, said mounting member comprising a band having a free end portion carrying said wedge, said rear edge of the Wedge being eo-terminal with the free end of said band and the width of the band corresponding substantially to the width of the rear edge of the wedge, whereby the spreader when applied to the finger of an operator permits one hand operation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,733 2/ 1908 Caldwell 30-298 2,406,060 8/1946 Byron 132-1.1 2,484,313 10/ 1949 Rennecamp 1321.1 2,489,579 11/1949 King 1321.l

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

G. E. MCNEILL, Assistant Examiner. 

